Rising in the ranks

Published: Saturday, May 3, 2014 at 06:09 PM.

Kinston High School is riding high after being recognized as a bronze medal school by the U.S. News and World report.

Of the 519 high schools in the state, 97 medals were awarded, 61 of which were bronze.

There was a three-step process in order for a school to be selected. The first step determined whether each school’s students were performing better than statistically expected for the average student in the state. The second step determined whether the school’s least-advantaged students such as minorities and students from low-income homes were performing better than average for similar students in the state. The final step took into account college and career readiness using Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test data as the benchmarks for success.

Interim Principal Brian Corey said it’s a great honor for the school.

“It shows that we have great teachers here that are willing to work with students to make sure they are prepared for the workforce,” he said. Corey said he hopes the school can build on the its success.

“Achieving the level of bronze is great, but it’s always good when you can achieve a higher level the following year,” he said. “It’s good that we can continue to reach for excellence, push ourselves and make sure our students are college and career ready. We are defiantly looking forward to hearing great things about the success of our students and the quality of education provided by our teachers at Kinston High.”

Lenoir County school’s Spokesman Patrick Holmes said the school system is proud of the accomplishment.

Kinston High School is riding high after being recognized as a bronze medal school by the U.S. News and World report.

Of the 519 high schools in the state, 97 medals were awarded, 61 of which were bronze.

There was a three-step process in order for a school to be selected. The first step determined whether each school’s students were performing better than statistically expected for the average student in the state. The second step determined whether the school’s least-advantaged students such as minorities and students from low-income homes were performing better than average for similar students in the state. The final step took into account college and career readiness using Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test data as the benchmarks for success.

Interim Principal Brian Corey said it’s a great honor for the school.

“It shows that we have great teachers here that are willing to work with students to make sure they are prepared for the workforce,” he said. Corey said he hopes the school can build on the its success.

“Achieving the level of bronze is great, but it’s always good when you can achieve a higher level the following year,” he said. “It’s good that we can continue to reach for excellence, push ourselves and make sure our students are college and career ready. We are defiantly looking forward to hearing great things about the success of our students and the quality of education provided by our teachers at Kinston High.”

Lenoir County school’s Spokesman Patrick Holmes said the school system is proud of the accomplishment.

Any time you make a national ‘best of’ list, you have something to crow about,” he said. “All our high schools offer valuable programs and the teachers and students there work hard to be the best; and in this case, Kinston High checked the boxes U.S. News & World Report considered important, particularly with the success of and participation in its International Baccalaureate program. It looks like that data figured prominently in the recognition, and it should have. Kinston’s IB program does as good a job preparing students for college and careers as any advanced program around, public or private.”

Noah Clark can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Noah.Clark@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @nclark763.